


Late Last Night

by NeoVenus22



Category: Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-10
Updated: 2010-01-10
Packaged: 2017-10-06 02:32:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoVenus22/pseuds/NeoVenus22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan surprises Kira one night with an odd request.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late Last Night

Kira was scribbling frantically, about _this close_ to finally figuring out the stupid algebra proof. She had the answer on the tip of her tongue, it was all falling together--

"Kira, I need a favor."

She groaned and didn't look up. "If it's about algebra, I'll kill you."

"Can I kiss you?"

The pencil dropped out of her hand, and she looked up at Ethan. They were the only two people in Hayley's, music playing softly in the background because up until that moment, Kira had been alone. Hayley had given all the Rangers keys, and they came after hours as they pleased, as a group or individually, to study or watch TV, when she'd still had the big screen and satellite.

"Say what now?" she demanded incredulously, the algebra proof long forgotten.

He looked embarrassed. "Look. The thing is, I've never really... you know... kissed a girl before. And I just thought it was maybe a good idea if I got some practice or something, just in case... I mean, listen, you don't have to or anything, I was really just hoping that maybe I could kiss you and you could tell me how I was. But you don't have to," he repeated hastily.

"Um..." said Kira, frowning, not sure what to say. She finally settled on the question, "Why me?"

Ethan shrugged. "Well, you're my best friend. And I know you'll be totally honest with me. Plus, I can count on you to never, ever mention this to Conner."

She bit back a smile, just barely. "How do you know I wouldn't?"

Ethan was perfectly serious when he answered, "Because if you did, I would hand in my gem to Dr. O. and resign."

"You would not!" she insisted. "I wouldn't let you."

"Aw, c'mon, why not? You and Conner both did."

"I so never resigned."

Ethan smirked. "Are you kidding me? The day we got our powers, you threw a hissy fit in the quad, gave your gem to Conner, and stormed off."

"I did not throw a 'hissy fit,'" she said hotly. "And that's really sexist of you to say, because--"

Before she could really get into her rant, Ethan exercised the real reason he'd come here, one she'd forgotten about, and pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, taking in Ethan's face before hers, before the confusion ebbed just long enough that she might relax into the kiss, and then it was over.

"What the hell..." she began.

"Sorry," he coughed, looking away. "I kinda figured you wouldn't let me otherwise, so..."

"Oh." She fought the blush rising in her face. She had never been rendered speechless quite like this before.

"So, how was it?" he asked, bringing her back to the present. There was pure pain etched into his face, as though he knew he was in line to be executed. She smiled at him warmly.

"No complaints, Ethe. Honestly."

"You're serious," he said flatly, looking at her with the tiniest bit of hope flickering in his gaze. She nodded, and the hope flourished into pride, as he smiled with both his mouth and eyes. "Cool." The grin faltered, and he went back to being serious Ethan, "Thanks, though."

"Yeah, sure," she said, looking steadfastly at her notebook once more. "Just next time, a little warning would be nice, you know?"

"_Next_ time?" he teased. "Kira, Kira, Kira, you naughty girl. What would Trent say?"

"Don't start," she warned him. "You know what I meant."

"Or Conner?" he continued with masochistic glee.

"_Ethan_," she said in a dangerous tone. He only grinned. She poked him in the arm. "Who were you planning on kissing, anyway?"

It was Ethan's turn to look away sharply. "No one."

"Yes, _some_ one," she said, rolling her eyes and propping a hand on his shoulder. "Otherwise you wouldn't be in here. C'mon, Ethan, who is it?"

"It's no one," he insisted. "How are you coming on the algebra homework?"

She narrowed her eyes at his diversionary tactic. He knew it was an unfair move. "Horribly."

"I finished it; need some help?"

"Please," she admitted dejectedly, and he scooted his stool over.

"Oh, man, this one threw me for a loop," he said. "The thing you gotta do here is..." He launched into an explanation of the problem, and it clicked before Kira's eyes. She grabbed the pencil from him and jotted it down. He grinned. "Yup."

"Cool," she proclaimed, and burst through the next three problems with aplomb. Before she knew it, her work was done. "This is great. Thanks," she said, shutting up her books.

"Anytime," he said. "Celebratory smoothie?"

"Hayley won't kill you for using her stuff?"

"What's the point in being a Ranger if you don't reap the benefits?" he asked with a grin. He ducked behind the counter and began throwing ingredients into one of the blenders. "Plus, I am officially trained."

"You worked here, like, two days," she said.

"It's just fruit, Kira," he mock-scoffed. He passed her a glass. "Here."

"Thanks," she said, and took a long drink. "Mmm, a number four, my favorite."

"I know," he smiled. He leaned against the counter, facing her. "So, what's the deal with you and Trent and Conner?"

"There's a deal?" Kira took a big swig to hide her face.

"Of course there is. Do you think I'm blind? You still have a thing for Trent, and Trent still has a thing for you, but you sort of have a thing for Conner, too, and Conner sort of has a thing for you. It's this whole big drama."

"It is not," she said, putting her glass down.

"It is so," he said. "Don't try to pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Conner has a thing for me?" she asked. "I mean, really? Has he said anything?"

"Is that the way you're leaning?" said Ethan carefully.

She tilted her head slightly. "I'm not really leaning any way," she said. "I'm just curious. Informed decision, and all that."

"So you'll be leaning one way or another in the future."

"Maybe."

"Yeah," said Ethan. "He hasn't said anything directly, but it's the way he says the things he doesn't say, if you follow me."

"I think I do."

"You're throwing him for a loop," the boy in blue confided. "He keeps thinking that maybe he has a chance with you, and once he builds up his confidence, you turn around and suddenly are super-chummy with Trent."

"They're both my friends," she said defensively. She sighed. "What about you?"

"I'm your friend, too," he said immediately, looking confused.

"No, I mean, what about your love life. I don't really want to talk about mine."

"What makes you think I have one?"

"Um, duh, why are you here?" she said.

"Listen, I really, really don't want to talk about it. Please."

Poor Ethan looked so uncomfortable that Kira felt guilty. She plucked a straw out of the jar on the counter and swirled it around in her half-finished smoothie. "Maybe neither."

"Neither what?"

"Trent or Conner. Maybe I don't want to get involved with either of them. I mean, Conner doesn't trust Trent, so if I get together with Trent, it's going to throw off the balance of the team. I'm the only thing really tying Trent to the team, so if I get together with Conner, he'll defect. It's complicated." She finished off her smoothie in one long gulp and stared into her glass, suddenly quite distressed by this notion.

Ethan's lips were on hers once more, warm and soft. He tasted like the blueberry smoothie he'd been drinking, and Kira found herself relaxing against him as they stretched across the counter to meet each other. It was completely surreal, so Kira decided instead to shut off her brain until he pulled away. "You're really smart, Kira, but you worry too much."

"Probably," she agreed.

"We're not mentioning this ever, right?" he asked, taking her glass and putting it in the sink. "I mean, I don't particularly want to face either of their wrath. Trent's kicked my butt one too many times, and now that Conner has that battlizer, I fear for my life."

"Understandable," she said, watching as he did dishes. "Between the three of them, I wonder if we as Rangers will ever get the credit we deserve."

"You will," said Ethan confidently. "You're the girl."

"You've got that cool hover cycle thing. Every kid in America is gonna want one of those."

"It is pretty tight, isn't it," Ethan said with a proud grin. "Gotta love Hayley." He wiped the glasses down with a towel and replaced them. "Let's get out of here, shall we?"

"Is there much point?" she joked. "We'll just be back tomorrow afternoon."

"Yeah, true that." He waited for her while she threw her stuff in her backpack and shouldered it. He locked up behind them. "Want me to walk you home?"

Kira smirked. "You think I can't take care of myself?"

"Of course I don't," he said. "You're only a girl, after all."

Kira hit his arm, laughing. "You're a jerk."

"Yup," he agreed cheerfully, sliding a comforting arm around her shoulders as they strolled down the dark street, and proceeded to tell her about how he had found a fan letter to Sting in Hayley's office. Kira was dying with laughter by the time they got to her house.

"I hope things work out with your mystery woman, Ethe," she said as she fished her keys out of her pocket. "You're worth it, you know. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"You shouldn't be either. I know you're just looking out for the best interests of the team, but maybe you should be looking out for your own best interests." He gazed at her seriously. She stepped over to him and gave him a hug. "I'm glad you're on the team," she whispered.

"I wasn't serious about leaving."

"I know. But don't ever."

"I won't."

Kira let him go. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," he echoed, watching her go inside before heading down the empty street.


End file.
